Brockton students to give chicks to Ashburnham farm

ASHBURNHAM -- Students from the Davis School in Brockton have volunteered to donate up to a dozen chicks to help offset the ones stolen from Kalon Farm.

Earlier this month 200 chicks disappeared from Keith Kopley's farm in Ashburnham. He had constructed a heated pen to house the birds and they appeared to have been stolen on the morning of March 14.

Jocelyn Meek, communications officer for Brockton Public Schools, said sixth grade students of library paraprofessional Janet Landerholm heard about the missing chicks and wanted to help.

Landerholm teaches a segment where students nurture a dozen fertilized eggs. Once they hatch the chicks are typically donated to a 4-H group, but the students came up with the idea of giving the current batch to Kalon Farm.

"We're proud of our students," said Meek.

She said it reflects the values of community and civic responsibility the district wishes to install in its students and applauded them for showing initiative in making the suggestion.

"I'm kind of taken back by it, it's a great gesture," said Kopley. "The teachers and parents there, they must be teaching them the right way."

The chicks are expected to hatch between April 8 and April 15. Meek said they are hoping the chicks will hatch before April vacation starts on April 15 so the students can deliver the chicks to Kalon Farm as a field trip.

Typically, between six and 12 chicks hatch when they run the lesson plan.

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The missing birds were Cornish cross broiler chickens and the chicks the school is incubating are Rhode Island Reds. Kopley said that breed is best used for egg-laying, but the farm needs more eggs and he is glad to accept them.

"You've got people that steal from you and people that give back. It's a strange world," said Kopley.

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